Fairy Hearts: Key of Time
by HeartlessAlchemyst
Summary: Xehanort has mastered the power of time for the looming final battle. Sora; having lost much of his power, will need to search for new ways to regain his lost power and learn new powers. He finds himself in the Kingdom of Fiore in search of a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest. One from which countless legends have been told. It's name is Fairy Tail.
1. Prologue

***This is my first attempt at fanfiction so forgive my amateur prose. I'd like some real critical feedback as well as suggestions. This is just a Prologue.**

 **FT timeline: After the Dragon King Festival arc ~ Ultear's Time of Life spell failed due to Luxord's interference and thus; Gray, Jet, Droy, and Macao remain dead. (Due to Gray being dead, Someone else will have to be the cause of Frosch's death in the future) Gildartz will not be present.**

 **KH timeline: After Dream Drop Distance ~ Sora went to explore other worlds after checking on his Dream Eaters in Traverse Town ALONE and BEFORE returning to Yen Sid in 0.2(He will not have full power due to this or Donald and Goofy) Roxas will be a separate entity from Sora.***

Sora; having had his fill of snuggles and licks from his Dream Eaters, begins to leave Traverse Town. He takes a long time to say goodbye to all his friends as he overhears a comment from Cid, "So you're looking for a way to get your lost power back?" Sora nods his head as Cid continues, "I've heard about a world far far away called Fiore. A small peaceful world full of magic. Found in every home; bought and sold in every market place. If ever there was a place to get stronger...I'd put my Munny on Fiore." "Thanks Cid. I'll check it out." Now with more a skip in his step; he sets out on a new solo journey to get stronger. "I have to do this myself. I can't fall back on my friends to do all the work in the fight against Xehanort." But just before he heads through the World Exit, he turns his head back and shouts back to Cid with his signature bright and cheery smile, "Take care of ALL my Dream Eaters when you go back to Radiant Garden!" He quickly slams the door before the old man could form a response, "Y-YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!"

 ***That's all for now. I have plans to include some OTPs later on and MAYBE an OC; but probably not. I have a draft for the first REAL chapter, but I want to wait to hear from my audience(however small it may be) before I post any more.***


	2. Morning of Mourning

A dark cloud hangs in the sky above Magnolia so big and overwhelming that you wouldn't even know the sun had risen. The townsfolk were particularly weary of the unusual gloom and silence from the otherwise loud and rambunctiousness of the Fairy Tail guild hall. Three months have passed since the "victory" against Rogue and his dragon army. The guild hall is all but totally empty as was the job board; though a few were still looming about, unsure of what to do. Eventually the silence was broken by Happy. "Lucy? ...Are you gonna take a job today?" The blonde mess pulled her depressed face off the table she slumped over as spoke in a soft tone. "Why? ...Erza already went out alone, Wendy hasn't even shown up and Natsu..." Before she could finish, she was interrupted by the cat in surprisingly defensive attitude. "He'll be back soon! He promised!" Lucy was shocked that she had even entertained the idea that Natsu wouldn't return, but before she could apologize; Gajeel muttered to himself. "Gray also promised he'd back too, didn't he? A promise don't mean much these days." Lucy refused to acknowledge Gajeel's words, probably under the assumption that he didn't mean for it to be heard. If the hall was the same as it used to be; that comment would have earned him some choice words from Salamander and a lecture from Elfman on how "un-manly" that was. But instead all he got was a nasty glare from the resident She-Devil.

Mirajane tries to refrain from making a scene with Gajeel and walks over to talk to Lucy. "You really should take a job, Lucy. It would help you get you out of this funk. That's what everyone else is doing." Mira places her hand on top of Lucy's to comfort her. "I can't just MOVE ON. They were our friends, Mira. No...they were our Family! Do you know what it's like to lose your family?!" On the verge of tears; Lucy tries to keep it together while Mira responds. "Yes...I do. Lissana. For a long time, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't laugh or smile or have fun or enjoy life. But I HAD to keep going. To honor her memory and try to live a life I'd be proud to share with her in the next life. Lissana didn't sacrifice herself for me to mourn her forever. So how long are YOU going to need? Because FOREVER is out of the question." Once again the hall was filled with silence until the doors creaked open as Wendy entered the room and Lucy wiped away her tears. "You're right. Even Juvia was proactive enough to go out there on a solo job. So can I." Lucy filled herself with a new sense of determination as she grabbed Happy and marched straight to job board despite his protests. "Hey! I thought you said you were going on a SOLO job!" His voice trailed off as the two of them left the hall with job request in hand, leaving Wendy somewhat confused but strangely chipper today. "What got into her?" Mirajane wipes the drool and hair from where Lucy was resting her head. "Hopefully; a fire in her heart. What about you? You're looking exceptionally upbeat today. What gives?" Surprised at her own good feeling; she muttered. "Guess he rubbed off on me a bit." She noticed both Mira and Gajeel were more confused. "Oh. Um...nothing. I guess...I was greeted to a BRIGHT SKY this morning." After looking out the window from his seat, Gajeel noted that it was still dark and cloudy out. "The hell you talkin about."

 ***First REAL chapter is done. I think it turned out pretty good. I wonder who Wendy met on her way to the guild hall. "** _ **He says sarcastically."**_ **Yes. Thank you, Horalogium. You can go back to the Spirit world. So, my plan for now is that Juvia, Erza and Natsu are off on their own therapeutic jobs and the only ones at the guild at the moment are Makarov, Wendy, Mira, and Gajeel. As for ships...you can try, but I bet you won't guess whose for Sora. Obviously, I'm not going to answer you. Teehee :P***


	3. Where The Sky and Heaven Meet

It's always the same. He enters a whole new world for the first time in forever. At least that's how it felt for Sora. The rules of every world were different and world itself stood out. But the one thing he could always count on, was that the people would be just as unique as the world they lived in and Fiore was no exception. The town of Magnolia was familiar to Sora but also full of new things; such as magic. Even just looking at the mundane uses of it on the streets he could tell it was somehow...different from the magic he was used to. Of course, this just made Sora all the more eager to learn and broaden his horizons. Even on dim and cloudy day like this, you'd be hard-pressed to get Sora down; unlike the little blue haired girl he couldn't help but notice shuffling along the street. "Hey now...being just as muggy as the weather isn't going to make it go away, ya know. The clouds or your frown." The girl could only stop to turn and look in at Sora in confusion as she tried to put on a brave face. "Are...you talking to me?" Sora knelt down to her level before patting her head. "What happened? Are you lost? If so; you don't have to worry. Because I'm here...and I'm lost too, so we can be lost TOGETHER." Ever the dork; Sora tries to lift her spirits with his signature bad jokes. To his surprise...IT WORKS. "Hehe. I can direct you to the Fairy Tail guild. I'm sure Master has a map you could use to find your way." A soft smile appears on her face, followed by a weak laugh. It wasn't quite the reaction he hoped for; but it good enough. "My name is Wendy. I'm a wizard for Fairy Tail." Pleased with his progress; Sora nearly forgot to introduce himself. "I'm Sora. Your guild is actually what I'm looking for." Wendy begins to lead the way for her new friend. "Right this way. And Sora...Thank you." The two of them arrive at the hall and just as Wendy opened the doors to go in; another girl came out with her flying blue cat and ran right into Sora, bumping heads. "Ow! Sorry." The two of them spoke almost in sync but the blonde was in far too much of a hurry to be held up. As soon as Sora helped her to her feet; she bolted back on her way, dragging the cat with her. "Wow. She looks excited."

Just around the corner behind Sora, he was being followed by a young man and woman in hooded black coats. "Ugh. Must he always insist on playing the good guy? It's like he's picking up a stray cat off the street." Disgust and malice saturated the woman's words while her partner mocked her. "What's wrong? Jealous of a little kiddie? Do you want me to pat your head, Larxene?" You could almost FEEL the smugness in his voice as Larxene quickly rebutted. "Yep. Totally. You figured me out, Vanitas. You hit the nail on the head." The sarcasm was practically dripping from her mouth; to which he returned in kind. "Well, it ain't easy. Where DO these flashes of inspiration come from? How did I know you were a shallow, stuck-up, bit-" But before he could finish his insult; they were both interrupted by a voice in their heads. "Do you two need a room for some privacy or you going to get it on in public? What am I, your babysitter? As if. Vanitas. If you've got time for a date, you've got time to WORK. You're supposed to working on that Unversed army. And Larxene...focus on being a discrete and SILENT spy." Larxene quickly dashes off in flash of lightning in pursuit of her target as Vanitas slowly meanders out of town. "I'd hardly call it a DATE, Xigbar. That would require her to be having just as much fun as me and well...I feel she's going to burst a blood vessel every time she talks to me." Vanitas passes through a dark corridor and comes out the other side to a mountain pass. "As if you know what a date SHOULD be. Anyways; boss man told me to remind you not to bungle things this time. So if you could make sure you actually GAIN numbers this time...that'd be great." Vanitas starts to get a little peeved. "It's not MY fault. I find a new spot to build be numbers; I leave for five minutes to take a leak only to come back to a massacre. But don't worry. This time I made sure the wizard arrives on MY time. She keeps taking them out when I'm gone, but one way or another, this little game ends today." Xigbar closes his message with a warning. "Careful. I'd hate to see you be another notch on the Titania's belt."

 ***The queen approaches. I'm hoping that shorter chapters means I will be able to push them out somewhat faster. I always imagined Sora as a sort of goofy big brother to Wendy and the NEW Organization XIII is starting to reveal its members.***


	4. Fallen Fairies

"Mira? Is the Master in. There's someone who wants to talk to him." Wendy walks up to the bar where Mira was working. As Sora enters the hall, he immediately catches the attention of the pierced dragon slayer, Gajeel. "Hey! What's your deal? You like following little girls, Punk? You a friend of Mest or something?" Sora didn't know how to respond to that, but a small old man did it for him. "That's enough, Gajeel. Don't pester the boy." The small man approached as Sora couldn't help but be reminded of a certain round eared king. "Apologies for the less the warm welcome. My name is Makarov. I'm the Master of this guild. Wendy tells me you're here to learn magic." Sora quickly banishes the thoughts of Makarov as a mouse and stands at attention. "Yes sir! I'm prepared to whatever it takes." Makarov pauses for a bit before giving a follow up question. "Whatever it takes? This is a guild hall; where talented wizards come together to harness their skills in search of fame and fortune. This particular guild is a family and every one of the members are my children. I can't just let anyone join my family. Especially if you are not a wizard yourself. I'm sorry. Maybe I can direct you to a magic academy run by the council..." Sora couldn't let himself be dismissed so quickly. He had to come up with some way to inspire confidence. The old standby came to mind. He summoned his Keyblade in front of everyone; to which he got a mixture of reactions, but most notably; a look of shock from Makarov. "...V-very well. Just put that away." He does as he's told and dismisses the Keyblade as Wendy approaches excitedly. "Wow! I didn't know you had the same magic as Erza! That's amazing!" Wendy bubbles up with joy as her new friend gets accepted while Makarov pulls Sora's attention back to him. "Mirajane will give you you're mark and show you around the guild. I have to go." Mira quickly interjected with concern. "What's wrong, Master? Where are you going?" He doesn't stop walking as he answers. "There's something I have to check at the Grand Library. I won't be long. Mira is in charge." Gone. Leaving everyone confused and worried. Only Sora could muster up a question. "What was that about?" Mira wasted no time in taking charge. She took Sora's hand and lead him behind the bar. "The Master has always been rather unpredictable. Don't worry about it. Now, where would you like your guild mark?" After a short moment of thought, he pulled down the collar of his shirt and moved his crown necklace aside. "Right here. Above my heart."

A large building somewhere in Fiore held many books which could only be accessed by high ranking members of the Magic Council or guild Masters. This was Makarov went in search of answers. After being led inside by a frog woman from the council, he made a B-line for the section of...otherworldly secrets. After scanning the shelves for a few seconds, he found what he was looking for. "The Keyblade. One legend says its wielder saved the world, while another says he brought chaos and ruin upon it. Which tale is the TRUE legend?" Makarov had a million questions that if he wanted wanted answered, he'd have to lock himself away in that study to further examine the book. Meanwhile, a certain red head returned to her Fairy Tail...battered and bandaged. "WHAAAAT?! YOU LOST?!" Everyone in the hall shouted in complete disbelief. Erza was left to explain herself. "He wouldn't even use his army. We fought one-on-one. I couldn't believe how strong and fast he was. I failed the quest." Wendy tried to look for a way to comfort her teammate. "Well, when Lucy and Natsu get back...we can all go together and beat him." Mirajane jumped in. "The only reason this hooded helmet guy hasn't been caught yet is because everyone keeps sending small groups to take out an army." Gajeel; feeling left out, also throws his hand in the pot. "This guy sounds tough. I can't wait to fight him." Erza suddenly raises her voice to get them all to stop. "That's not why I came back! I heard a rumor. There's some hooded woman, dressed just like that man I fought. She's destroyed a dozen towns this week...by flooding them." Silence and horror overcome Wendy and Mirajane as Erza continues. "Those who survive tell that she only says ONE thing. DRIP DRIP DROP."

 ***Dun dun dun. Juvia doesn't seem to be taking Gray's death as well as we though, hmm? Would this be the first time Erza has actually LOST a fight? Makarov knows something about the Keyblade, but the question is: "How much?" And yes, Larxene is still watching this all go down.***


	5. Dragon vs Nymph

"Who's Juvia?" Curious about what's going on; Sora directs his question at everyone. However, they were all far too busy having a meltdown over their friend apparently going mental. The only one able to calmly discern Sora's voice from the chaotic mess was Erza. "She is our friend and valuable member of this guild. She is a powerful water elemental mage...and she was very close to Gray." Sora took a moment to realize that Gray was one the friends that Wendy was mourning when they met. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go get her back!" Gajeel pronounced in an affirmative tone that surprised everyone. "...What? I've known her longer than any of you. She's not the kind of girl who'd break so easily...not without someone else leading her on." Looking back and forth at each other, the guild tried to think of who would try to manipulate Juvia's weakened emotional state. "Tartaros? They're the only major dark guild left in the Barom Alliance. Maybe they want to get previous members of the Phantom Lord guild to integrate into their ranks?" Mira explained to her friends who seemed to make sense of it. "I'll bet that boy I fought was a member too. He WAS building an army of dark creatures. Perhaps, under the command of Tartaros." Erza added to the theory to connect the dots as Wendy jumped in. "If that's true, then Gajeel is right! We can't wait! Juvia needs our help!" Gajeel rose from his seat and put his fist to his palm. "Um...you ARE going to help her, right? Not fight her." Sora commented toward the Iron Dragon slayer. But before anyone did something crazy, Mira interjected. "We need a plan. We're short on available members right now. Wendy and Gajeel. You two should go and find Juvia. Sora. You should go too. I feel like you'll be necessary to keep Gajeel on a leash...somewhat. Erza and I...we'll go after the boy in the mask. If he IS part of Tartaros, he might know something about what they did to Juvia."

"They're coming for you, Vanitas. She's bringing a friend this time." Larxene relays to an irritable Vanitas. "I'm quaking in my boots. The Fairy Queen is bringing...what was it? The She-Devil? Oohh. I'm might need a clean tunic." His sarcasm loses some of its subtlety, however little there was. "You sound confident for someone who almost got his head chopped of like a Thanksgiving turkey." Larxene condescended in a hushed tone as she was still in ninja mode. "That wasn't my fault! It was the first time I saw her and she was...distracting. It took me a while to get adjusted to her." Larxene snickered to herself. "Well, you better get it out of your system because her friend is just as DISTRACTING as she is." Vanitas has now evolved from irritable to pissed. "Shut it, Thunder-thighs! You just focus on your OWN job. Did they leave the guild yet?" As more Unversed monsters materialize from Vanitas' anger, Larxene continues her teasing. "They're heading out now, Cranky pants. Looks they're gonna leave the whole guild empty. Makes my job a lot easier." Vanitas starts to cool down a bit. "In that case; if you screw this up, that will be FANTASTICALLY humiliating, wouldn't it?" She ignores him and 'Hangs up' on him as she sneaks into the guild right after the team head out on their mission. She zips around every corner of the hall at lightning speed, but is unable to find what her target. She starts to get frustrated and mutters to herself. "Where the hell is it? Lumen Histoire is supposed to be a giant crystal with a girl inside. How do you hide that in a friggin tavern?" Her frustration builds, as does her electric aura. "I swear; if I go back empty handed to that smug-ass idiot...I'm gonna relieve my stress and blow this whole trash heap to dust!" She is now loud whispering as the lightning around her starts to gain...a little more than she is making it. "So, from what I gather...you're here to either STEAL from us...or DESTROY our home. Is that about right?" Larxene turns around to see the source of the voice and the extra lightning was a tall, muscular man with blonde hair, a lightning bolt scar...and mean look on his face. She took a moment to observe him and bury the embarrassment of being caught as well as being eavesdropped on before she adopted a villainous smirk. "Hello, Stress reliever."

 ***Surprise. Laxus was so far reserved into the guild that everyone else kinda forgot about him. I just realized that Larxene and Vanitas have almost a Natsu and Gray dynamic to there dialogue. Which is kinda appropriate, I think. Also, Vanitas seems to have an unexpected weakness...probably not the best world for him to be in. Like a snail in a world of salt. I might tone down that weakness in the future if it become too...Kryptonite-ish.***


	6. The Devil in Disguise

~*Former* Town of Glaceil~  
3 days in a row of endless gloom in the sky. Though most people couldn't tell how much time had passed since the Sun barely graced the land with its light. Team "Iron Heaven" -as Wendy called it- were on their 4th hour of sailing on a dirty ocean of wood, metal and various other debris. The swaying and rocking of the boat did little to ease Gajeel's recently acquired motion sickness. "Ugh...This was a town? I can't even SEE it under all this crap...Hrrk!" Sora leaned away from the hurling dragon in disgust. "Aim it over the side, please." Meanwhile, a concerned Wendy investigates every visible piece of building that floated across the surface of the water. "She's not here. She must have moved on." She lets out a disappointed sigh. "We're too late. If Natsu were here, he could track her down with his sense of smell." Sora took a moment away from patting Gajeel's back as he heaves over the bow of the boat to address Wendy. "Based on what you've told me about Dragon slayers; if he were here, he'd be in the same miserable position as Gajeel." Earning a giggle from Wendy, but soon overshadowed by a sudden moment of realization; she turned to look out towards the center of cloud's focus. "The eye of the storm! That has to be it!" Sora quickly pushed himself up after unintentionally pushing Gajeel's face down into the water. "Oops. Uh...Alright, crew! Head a course for the Eastern-" Wendy interrupts. "Western." And Sora quickly corrects himself. "WESTERN hills over yonder...mate!" Wendy shrugs off his attempt at levity and salutes anyways. "Aye aye, Captain Sora!" They arrive at their destination to find the waters even more treacherous and full of broken trees and drowned bodies. Both animals and...people. Wendy covers her mouth as Sora shields her eyes. "How could she?" Unable to deny what she sees; Wendy tries to find comfort from her companions. "She can't control herself! Even when she and I worked with Phantom Lord, she was NEVER this cruel or cold! Tartaros must have some kind of mind control charm!" Gajeel arrives at his own conclusions as Wendy works off it; trying to hold out hope. "Then if that's true; all we have to do is break the charm and she'll snap out of it. Charms don't work on people who KNOW their being charmed." Sora reaches into the water to pull out a Teru Teru Bozu doll and studies it as he comes to terms with the foulness in the air. "So if we can convince her that what she's doing is NOT who she is...she'll go back to normal?" Both dragon slayers were silent but looked on with a mixture of hope...and dread.

~Horn Mountain~  
"Back for round two, Your Highness?" Vanitas spoke in a condescending tone as he hopping down from his high ground with his hand in his pockets while Erza and Mirajane took a combat stance. "I mean...you gotta be some kinda egotistical narcissist to call yourself the QUEEN of anything." Erza only narrowed her glare at him as she requipped her Flame Empress armor. Vanitas begins slow clapping and whistling. "Ooo! Is it hot in here or is it just YOU? You're warming ME up already!" Erza continued to ignore his attempts at goading her. But Mira was unable to tolerate his behavior. "HEY! Are you going to tell us what you did to our friend, Juvia or do we have to-" He suddenly flashed right in front of them and leaned forward in their face. "Get rough? PLEASE do." Both the girls groan as the veins on their foreheads become visible. An almost instantaneous swing of the sword from Erza strikes his form but only cleaves his afterimage in two. "Too slow." He mocked as he appeared back on the high ground he occupied earlier as Erza snapped herself out of her irritation. "He reminds me of Ichiya and Bacchus in one...for ALL the wrong reasons. Don't let him get under your skin, Mira." Mira nodded as she readied herself again. This time transforming into her Satan Soul form, which seemed to get an odd pause from Vanitas. Mira didn't squander the opportunity. She took advantage of the opening she saw and jolted towards at blinding speed and punched him square in his mask; cracking it as he flew back in a heap and crashed into the nearby mountain wall. Erza looked uncharacteristically awestruck at how easily Mira got a solid hit on him, but the sheer level of dominance in her successful attack made her all the more cautious and skeptical of whether or not he let that happen. "Are you sure this is that same guy you fought, Erza?" Vanitas pulls himself out the indent in the rocks he made as he groans from the first taste of pain he failed to stop himself from feeling in a long time. This feedback from her opponent confirmed to Mira that her attack did indeed HURT him and she did, in fact catch him off guard. "What's wrong? Were you not ready?" Vanitas takes a moment to observe her outfit and...other things. "In more ways than one. What the HYUK is with this world, man? ...I love it! You're the She-Devil, right? Alright. You've got my attention." His mask breaks off completely and falls, revealing his face. Both Mira and Erza are shocked to see he looks just like..."S-Sora?" Vanitas gives smug grin as his golden eyes pierce through their own and reveals their fear and his jet black hair emanates a seething, dark, smoke-like shadow. "Heh. And it looks like I have YOURS too."

 ***Phew. I really like how this chapter turned out. ~** ** _Trumpets play~_** **What the hell?** ** _The first ship has sailed!_** **What are you talking about? Vanitas x Mirajane has been confirmed and solidified.** ** _MiraTas is the first OTP._** **...Uh...Ok? ...Who are you again?** ** _He LOOOOVES her._** **Oh. It's you, Virgo. Where did you get a trumpet?***


	7. Roaring Thunder, Raging Seas

~Magnolia: Fairy Tail Guild Hall~  
The townspeople were used to rowdy fights in from the guild. Every person in town had their hair standing up from the electricity in the air. This gave Makarov an uneasy feeling as he asked himself while rushing back to the guild. "Laxus?" At the center of the thunder brawl was Larxene and Laxus still going at it with neither one gaining much of an edge over the other. "You're pretty strong, big guy. But you're slow. You're never gonna hit me." Laxus brushed off his shoulder. "Yeah? Well, you're not gonna beat me with those little stings. Why don't you pack up your skinny ass and get out of my house." He stated threateningly. But she only scoffed at him. "I told you I'm not going anywhere until I find Lumen Histoire." Laxus raised his voice in frustration. "And I told YOU...I have no idea what that is! But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you crap! Now SCRAM! Lightning Dragon ROAR!" A giant wave of lightning blasted out of his mouth and barreled towards Larxene but was intercepted and absorbed by a new figure in a similar black coat to her. Both Laxus and Larxene were shocked(yes, I know) by the stranger's sudden appearance. But Larxene quickly made the connection. "I don't need your help, Cobra!" Laxus's eyes widened at the name. He recognized it somewhere. His voice only served to further the sense of familiarity. "I'm not here to help you. I'm here to tell you to get out of here. I can hear it...the old man is coming. Unless, you want to fight both him AND you're new bolt brother here." She groaned in defeat. "...Fine. But don't think this means you win, jerk! I was ORDERED to retreat!" Laxus was barely paying attention to her. His focus is now on the newcomer. "...Oracion Seis? You're THAT Cobra, right?" Under his hood, Laxus could see the faintest glimpse of a fanged smile come to light on his face. But they both disappeared into a dark corridors before Laxus could give chase. Just as they left; Makarov arrived in their place. "Laxus! What happened?! I thought with Natsu gone, the guild would go at least a little while without being destroyed!" Laxus interrupted Makarov's rant to exclaim his findings. "Gramps! Ivan talked about it in the Grand Magic Games, but I didn't know what it was then. I STILL don't know. What is Lumen Histoire?!" Makarov was floored by his grandson's question, but sighed in exasperation. "...Alright. I'll show you."

~Western Hills: *Former* Town of Thrall~  
An ocean of water and ruin lay atop the countryside. Not a sound can be heard aside from the flowing waters and falling rain in a calm but merciless sea. A woman in yet another black hooded coat stood upon the water. Despite the enigmatic nature of her attire; her wavy blue hair spilled out of the hood as a cold and harsh rain poured onto her head and shoulders. In the relative peace on these hills, a familiar voice broke through to her. "Juvia!" She placed the voice and followed it to find a small boat landed nearby a small island of land that was probably once a tall hill with her expected source. "Wendy? Why are you here?" Juvia looked to a raising hand that belonged to a recovering Gajeel from the boat beside her. "I came too, ya know?" Juvia's voiced becomes gravely serious now. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Her two friends were taken aback by her forcefulness, but answered anyway. "W-we're here to bring you back." Wendy spoke more timidly than usual as Gajeel rose from the boat now and stood behind Wendy, putting a his hand on Wendy's shoulder while not breaking eye contact with Juvia. "Why don't you take off that hood, Juvia? You're scaring Wendy." The rain begins to pick up as the sea grows restless. "...What do you think you're going to see?" Juvia retreats inward as she turns her face from them, but Wendy only approaches stronger. "The face of our FRIEND! A friend locked in her own sorrow! A friend in need of our help!" Juvia scoffs at her friends. "Sorrow? Juvia is WAY past that stage. Juvia made new friends that helped her make peace with Gray's death." Gajeel squints his in suspicion. "Gray? JUST Gray? Not darling Gray?" Juvia paused for a few moments, then proceeded to lower her hood to reveal herself. "Juvia's friend is wise. He helped Juvia understand that her love for Gray was unrequited. It's quite funny actually. A man with no heart was able to teach Juvia that her own heart was WASTED on someone like Gray." Both Wendy and Gajeel couldn't believe what they were hearing. But before they could question her, she answered the question on the tip of their tongues. "Oh. But don't misunderstand. Juvia misses him. Juvia was grateful to him for bringing in to the guild to meet such wonderful friends. Juvia appreciates his acceptance of her...gloomy-ness at the time. But...Xemnas was right." Wendy screams at Juvia in the hopes that her voice would reach the "real" Juvia. "Juvia please! Snap out of it! You're under a charm! Please go back to nor-" She stopped herself as Juvia raised her hand to Wendy's face. "Juvia is NOT under a spell of any kind. Juvia is FREE from her prison of obsession." Only now does Wendy truly see...her eyes. Juvia's eyes are blank. Empty. A deep blue darkness with no room for love at all. Gajeel notices as well and pulls Wendy's shoulder and throws her back behind him. "Then we do this the hard way!" He turns his arm into an iron sword as Juvia responds with the water around the island forming a ring of water needles. "Water Slicer!" Gajeel yells out just before Juvia attacks. "Now, Sora!" Juvia's eyes widen as she quickly turns around to find Sora jumping out from under the boat with Keyblade in hand as he charges. Juvia doesn't have time do defend. She was to focused on Gajeel and Wendy. This stranger was going to impale her but she wasn't worried. She would simply turn her body to water the moment he connected. But his strike did not go through. The Keyblade lingered on her chest as Sora twisted the blade clockwise and a flash of light overwhelmed Juvia. A warm and welcoming light.

 ***Two chapters in two days! What a bargain! This chapter feels like a good time to mention that Juvia is a LOT stronger in this story. If I had to ball park it, I'd say she's around Erza levels now.***


	8. An Ocean of Emotion

~Deep Dive: Juvia's Heart~  
Falling...falling into the darkness. Sora couldn't allow this to happen to Juvia. He assured himself that he wouldn't let someone fall into drakness when he can save them. He'd do whatever it takes...that he'll be there to bring her back. These thoughts were filling his mind as he landed on the plain glass tower of Juvia's heart. Sora could hardly believe the shape it was in. Her heart was fractured, with what few portraits of people who remained were of people who shouldn't be here. "Xemnas, Ansem, Xigbar, Vanit- wait...what?" Sora's eyes wandered to from the portraits to a large missing chunk of Juvia's heart. This was where love should be, but there was nothing...nothing but ICE. "Well, first things first. She can't recover if this ice chunk is in the way." Sora summoned his Keyblade with the intention to break off the ice, but relented when he noticed that the ice was forming a giant human figure on the top of itself. "Are you what's trapping her in this nightmare? Of course, Xemnas didn't heal her; he just taught her how to block the pain. If I don't get rid of you, you're eventually going to overshadow her heart...and destroy her. I WON'T let that happen!" He is filled with determination to save her as he takes a fighting stance. The Frozen Figure takes a stance of its own. An Ice Make Magic stance.

~Outside World: Flooded Thrall~  
Juvia lays unconscious beside Wendy; who is watching over her while Gajeel paces around the two of them. "Can you stop that, Gajeel? You're making me nervous." Her protests do little to calm either of their nerves. "Well, we SHOULD be nervous! We entrusted some guy we hardly know to save our friend! He could be an enemy!" Wendy calmly looks back at Gajeel. "...YOU were an enemy once, weren't you?" He stops in his tracks and sighs. His tone has mellowed out a bit. "...That's different. You know that. It's like you haven't learned from Mest at all." Wendy giggles a bit. "His name was Doranbolt, silly. He ended up being a friend anyway too. It's like Master Makarov said: Today's enemy is tomorrow's friend. You, Laxus, Doranbolt, Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow...Juvia. You were all enemies at one point. I'll bet even Sora has some experience with friends who were once enemies." Gajeel concedes the argument as Juvia moans and flinches in her sleep. But Wendy and Gajeel had their attention taken away by familiar high pitched voice from the sky. "Wendy! Gajeel!" They turned to confirm the voice. It was Happy flying toward them. "Happy?! What are you doing here?! How did you find us?" Wendy exclaimed in surprise and confusion as the blue cat charged straight into her arms. "I was heading back to the guild when I saw a big flash of light. I followed it here and that's when I saw you guys. What happened to Juvia?" Gajeel filled Happy in with a general summary. "Juvia needed help. We got a new guy fixing her up on the inside." Happy had a moment of clarity, relief and realization. "Oh. A new member? I'll be it was that guy Lucy bumped into on the way out of the g- AHH! There's no time for that! This is an emergency!" Wendy reels back from the cat's sudden outburst. "W-what?! What emergency? Wait...where's Lucy?"

~Deep Dive: Juvia's Heart~  
The Frozen Figure limps past Sora as it falls to its knees, cracking and melting. A man's voice Sora didn't recognize speaks to him. "Take care of her." It echoed throughout the abyss. Sora nodded firmly to send it off as it shattered into snow and water. The huge chuck that was filling in the split of the tower had broken off and began falling into the void. The tower began to repair itself as Juvia's voice came to light. "Who's there?" Ever polite; he answered loud and clear. "I'm Sora. I'm...the one who stabbed you." She paused for a moment as she tried to get her bearings. "What did you do to Gray's memory?" Again. Clear and concise, he spoke. "The memory is still here. I removed the HURT from within your heart. Normally, I'd insist that you do it yourself. Buuut...you were kind of endangering your friends." The tower is now whole again and the plain glass portraits begin to change in a bright light. "Juvia was in a dark place. But you showed her the light. You released Juvia from her HURT...Why?" Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh. I guess...because you needed my help. Because you deserve to heart that is free to choose. Free to get mad, to cry, to laugh. I can feel it just standing here. Your heart is like vast sea of feelings. An ocean of emotion, if you will. You deserve to love as you see fit." Juvia was taken aback by this boy's convictions. "But Juvia still believes in Xemnas. Juvia love was unrequited. It was not...consensual. Do you really believe Juvia can do this?" Despite not being sure if she can even SEE him right now; Sora gives her an encouraging smile. "I know you can do it. After the rain, comes a rainbow. Find someone who is bright, colorful and full of fun like you. Find your rainbow. Any guy would be lucky to have your love. I know I would." Sora flashed opened a door out of her Heart and exited to the Outside World. As he left, the plain glass of Juvia's heart was completed. Her friends take their place in the portraits. And behind Juvia's portrait like a guardian angel...was Sora.

 ***And like that, the main ship has sailed. In other news, Lucy is in trouble. What a surprise, right? Looks like Gray was the Hurt that was keeping the pieces in place.***


	9. Owner of a Lonely Heartfilia

~?~ **  
**"Wakey wakey." An unfamiliar voice called out to Lucy as she slowly opened her eyes and rose from the bed of the white room she was in. "Aw. Good morning, Sleepyhead." She turned quickly to face her the source of the voice and was greeted by an middle aged man with a ponytail and an eyepatch. She tried to get her bearings before she stood up. "W-where am I? Who are you? And why have you imprisoned me?" Xigbar chuckled at her confusion and walked closer to reveal that the door behind him was wide open. "Relax. We're not gonna hurt you." Lucy found that hard to believe as she rubbed a sizable bump on her head, but heard him out anyways. "I'm Xigbar, but you can call me Uncle Xiggy..." Obviously waiting for a response that he didn't get, he continued regardless. "...As for this place. We brought you here for your own protection. Don't you remember? You were out hunting a monster, but he hunted YOU first." Lucy thought back and remembered fighting some strange, demonic, black beast. As her suspicions of the man before her subsided slightly, she asked him in a more respectful tone. "Um...what was that thing? I've never seen a monster like that before in Fiore ever." Xigbar walked closer to her as he explained. "Not surprised. That was a Heartless. They aren't very common on your world." And like that; she was back to confused. "MY world? I don't understand. But in any case...thank you for saving me. Ow!" He pats her sore head as a means of comfort, but just ends up putting her in pain. "Aw. It wasn't ME who saved you, Princess. It was your BOYFRIEND." Lucy blushed profusely at his statement but quickly became anxious. "I-I don't...wait...do you mean...NATSU! Nastu is HERE?!" Xigbar sits down next to her on the bed. "Yes he is. Well, HALF of him at least." Lucy tilts her head, trying desperately to understand this man. "What do you mean? What happened to Natsu?!" Xigbar puts his hand on her shoulder. "Simmer down, Princess. He's not in danger. He's just...incomplete for now. He's been helping us with our mission. See, we're in the same position he is. So it's a good thing we found him; that way we can all work together to become whole again. We'll be finished soon. And when we are; he'll be his old self again." Lucy was overcome with a plethora of emotions: Confusion, excitement, worry, fear, joy. "W-where is he? Can I talk to him?" Xigbar tussles her hair and chuckles. "Of course. He's on a mission right now. But as soon as he gets back, I'll direct him to this room. So, if it's not too much trouble - could you stay here for me, Princess?" Lucy looks at him for a while; not saying anything. "...Alright. Thank you, Xigbar." He looks at her with disapproval as she rolls her eyes and gives in. "Sorry...Uncle Xiggy?" He stands up in victory. "Nice! If you need anything, there will be someone right outside for you to ask, Princess." He leaves the room and walks around the corner; passing a fellow member. "You're quite a talented liar when you want to be, Xigbar." Xigbar smirked and turned to his accuser. "As if. It wasn't ALL a lie. Eh...it was about...40% truth?" Xigbar attempted to do the calculations for how much truth was in his statements while the man now bagan criticizing Xigbar. "You chose to reveal a little more that I would have prefered. Perhaps, you somehow got it into your head that we need her to be compliant for our goals?" Xigbar shakes his head. "Saix, Saix, Saix. When are you gonna learn that a princess is good for more than just a hostage against the hero?" Saix scoffs at the idea. "Well, we can't leave her ALONE in there." The two of them bicker about how to care for Lucy as a third party enters. "Indeed." They both turn to face Xemnas. "Lucy Heartfilia wishes to talk to someone? I'm sure WE will have much to discuss." Xemnas enter her room and closes the door.

~Western Hills: Flooded Town of Thrall~  
The group of five headed towards Lucy's last known location by boat. "Juvia...did this?" Happy's question was directed at everyone but only Juvia answered. "Yes. Juvia was asked by Xemnas to build up armies. She would drown the townspeople or incapacitate them as Juvia's personal Heartless and Unversed squads would coordinate their efforts underwater to collect hearts to make new Heartless and the Unversed would feed off the fear, anger or sadness of the ones dying to increase their own power." Everyone was stunned by Juvia's forthcoming attitude except for Sora; who immediately had a follow up question. "But you can't make Unversed. So where do the Unversed come from?" Juvia answered without hesitation. "Vanitas. He gives Juvia the army, Juvia makes them stronger. He was actually very kind to Juvia, which was odd because Juvia got the impression that he doesn't like….people." Gajeel piped up from his motion sickness. "Maybe he saw a bit of himself in you." Happy covers his mouth as he tries to hold in his laughter. They all looked at Happy with judgmental eyes. "Wow! You wanna rephrase that, Gajeel?" A collective groan of disappointment overcame the whole boat as Wendy tried to change the subject. "I'm glad you're back to normal now, Juvia. But are you sure you're feeling alright...about all this?" Juvia leans over the boat a bit with a sorrowful look. "...Juvia cannot undo what she has done. Juvia can only hope that she can make this right in the end. Juvia still believes in Xemnas. But Juvia was only blindly following his requests without thinking. Thanks to Sora; Juvia sees clearly WHY she took orders without question." Sora was about to speak up but Juvia cut him off. "Juvia will NOT abandon her friends. It doesn't change the fact that Juvia believes in the cause. But she will also not fight you. You are ALL Juvia's friends. Juvia know's THAT wasn't a lie." Sora looks at Juvia with a concerned but trusting look on his face. Juvia couldn't help feeling like her friends don't believe her entirely, but Sora's eyes gave her hope. But of course, the cat had to open his big mouth. "Hey, Sora! How come your face is red? You liiiike her? 3" If it wasn't before, it definitely is bright red now. "WHAT?! It is NOT red!" Juvia turned her head to the front of the boat before Happy could notice that she wasn't much different. "Um...this is taking too long! Juvia can get us there faster. Hold on!" Juvia stands at the front and begins to use her magic to boost them along much faster than before as Gajeel yelled out. "Why didn't you do this sooner?!"

 ***S** **upposedly** **; about 70% of what Xigbar said to Lucy was a lie. Which parts were which? And now Lucy and Xemnas are going to have a Private Conversation? ... :3 Happy, don't even go there! Bad, bad kitty!***


	10. Time in a Castle

~The World That Never Was: Where Nothing Gathers~  
"Lucy has agreed to offer her assistance in controlling Natsu's Heartless." Xemnas informed everyone at the meeting of his success. "Did you lie to her? Or was there something MORE nefarious you...did to her?" Vanitas inquired of Xemnas to which he only gave a subtle glare at him. Larxene piped up. "What's wrong? You jealous?" Saix immediately broke them up to keep everyone on track. "Silence! Both of you. ...Ansem. Did you have any luck with Natsu's Heartless or will you require Lucy's assistance?" He reluctantly admitted his shortcomings. "Against all odds; that Heartless refuses to submit to my authority. We will see if the Princess can offer any substantial help." Saix nods as he moves on to the next item on the agenda. "Luxord. Any progress with the Time Wizard?" Picking through a deck of cards with Gray, Ultear, Ur, and Silver; Luxord returned his focus to the inquiry. "Ultear has been a stubborn girl. Progress is slow, but sure. I have to be careful what I show her in the castle, or she might realize its fake." Saix looks to the top chair and nods. "Understood. Return to Castle Oblivion ASAP. We'll send Cobra with the necessary memories as soon as he collects them. Cobra. Do I-" Cobra cuts Saix off. "Yeah yeah. I heard you." Larxene raises her voice in anger. "Hold on! I thought Lumen Histoire was MY job! What the hell?!" Vanitas has a light chuckle before he explains in Saix's place. "Guess that must be embarrassing, huh? You had your chance, but you screwed the Bow-Meow on this one." She has now gone from angry to livid. "YOU'RE one to talk! You needed Roxas to come and bail you out because you were getting your ass beat by- What did you call them? Models in Magic clothing?" Vanitas laughs to hide his anger. "They got a few good licks in, that's it! I still had the advantage! Besides; you only had one opponent. Mine was 2v1. A threesome, you could say. Ha!" Saix slams his fist into the armrest of of his chair as it created a small quake felt throughout the whole room. Silence hanged in the air for a moment as the only hooded individual who hadn't said anything so far finally spoke up rather firmly "How long are we going to ignore the Zolephant in the room? Juvia's isn't here. Enlisting Lucy was NOT part of the original plan. When she hears about Lucy's...liberation from Happy, Juvia's going to assume Lucy's in danger. Why don't we go tell her?" The old man at the top answered the hothead. "Natsu. Juvia will return to us in time. Have more faith in your friends." The eyes under the hood lit up like a burning candle in a dark room at that comment. The old man continued. "Lucy Heartfilia WAS a part of the plan, but her unexpected value in controlling your Heartless is not altogether unpleasant. She will still serve her purpose alongside Ultear and Roxas." Natsu calms down as Xemnas closes out the meeting. "Any further questions? ...Dismissed."

~Magnolia: Fairy Tail Guild Hall~  
"You're sure?" Makarov asked for clarification from Erza. "Yes, Master. He looked just like Sora." Makarov looked worried. "And the boy who came to his aid. He ALSO had a Keyblade?" Erza confirmed. "TWO of them, actually." Laxus demands answers, being more in the dark than he would like. "So what? Three people who can wield Keyblades show up in Fiore at the same time. Does that MEAN something? Is Sora hiding something from us? An evil twin? ...or triplets? Or did the guy with two of 'em have his OWN face?" Erza tried to satisfy Laxus's need for answers. "I couldn't see his face. Mira what about you? Did you get a good look at- ...Mira?" Mirajane was staring off into space, as she seemed to be thinking hard about something. "Huh? Oh. Uh...No. I didn't see his face. But it's the dark one that concerns me." Makarov asks her as though he feared the boy had done something unspeakable to her. Mira calmed the Master's nerves with her warm smile. "Nothing like that. It's just...I could sense his power. And it felt like...like a DEMON'S power." Everyone looks shocked by Mira's assertion. Erza is the first to make a connection. "So it IS Tartaros." Laxus follows up. "Makes sense. Cobra; from Oracion Seis was here with the lightning chick before you got here, Gramps. A demon, the Barom Alliance members, recruiting Juvia. It adds up." Mirajane doesn't seem so sure. "We'll ask Sora when he returns." Makarov speaks up. "No. Mira. You go after them and get some answers from him RIGHT NOW. Erza. Laxus. You two are coming with me." They all nod affirmatively. "I do NOT want a repeat of what happened with Mest. Mira. ...You do whatever you have to do to make him talk. Understood?" Mira reluctantly acknowledges her Master's orders and bolts out of the guild to track down Sora. Erza stands at beside Laxus as they seem to want to ask the same question. "Master? Where WE going?" Makarov leads them downstairs to a secret room. He opened the hidden door to reveal a strange looking vessel that looks like it hasn't been used in centuries. He then turned to answer his their question. "A place called Radiant Garden."


	11. Rhetorical Question

~Radiant Garden: Marketplace~  
A familiar feeling overtakes Erza and Laxus as they examine their new surroundings. It feels like Magnolia, but not quite. However, they aren't here to sight see. "Where is Merlin?" Erza began asking around the locals as Laxus kept her from headbutting anyone who didn't know anything. "Why is it whenever you interrogate the townsfolk, your people skills devolve into caveman speak?" Laxus tried to make sense of the fact that he is somehow the more socially acceptable one. "Master told us to ask around while he looked elsewhere. We don't have to time for pleasantries." That was the best defense she could come up with. Laxus gave up on trying to find the method to her madness. "You know it's bringing some extra attention to us? Some little girl who fancies herself a ninja has been following us. I think that flower girl in the pink dress you headbutted earlier was her friend."

"Not just HER friend." They both turn their attention to the man who spoke up from around the corner. He had a scar on his face and lion shaped pendant around his neck. "I take you two aren't from around here? Just so you know; Aerith DID know where Merlin was and she probably would have told you if you gave more than 3 seconds to answer before knocking her out. Yuffie! Go back and tell Merlin he's got people looking for him...and carry Aerith back with you. You two...come with me. I have some questions for YOU." Erza blushed in embarrassment and Laxus facepalmed as he mutters to himself. "Where's Gramps?"

~Radiant Garden: Merlin's House~  
Yuffie struggles to carry an loopy Aerith with her tiny body as she kicks open the door. "Cid! Get me an ice pa-..." She stops not only because Cid wasn't here but because there were other guests. A small old man and Tifa. "Oh. Yuffie. This is Makarov. I found him out by the Castle Postern. He's here to see Merlin." Yuffie takes note of the odd smile he was giving Tifa, but quickly made the connection. "You sure he's not here for YOU, Tifa?" Now both women give Makarov a judgemental glare as he blushes and smiles sheepishly. "Hehe. Uh...hey! That young lady there is injured. Let me take a look." Makarov tries to change the subject to avert their judgment. Yuffie brings Aerith over for treatment from the pervy old man...with reservations. "Merlin will be back soon. But if you try anything funny with anyone...Tifa's gonna clock you into next week. Got it!" Hanging his head in shame; he agreed to their terms.

~Fiore: Forest of Nel~  
Sora and his group arrive at Lucy's last known location. According to Happy, she was fighting a black beast with heart symbol on it's right shoulder when some guy in a black hood snuck up and knocked her out. Gajeel investigates the scuffs and marks on the ground and trees. "Well, there was definitely a struggle going on here. From the looks of it...her attacker fought the monster too after he knocked her out." Wendy looks to Juvia for answers. Juvia doesn't seem too concerned. "It was likely Ansem. He's been trying to control that Heartless for a while now."

The investigation is interrupted by a winged figure approaching from the sky. Using his altitude to catch them ahead of time; Happy recognizes it to be Mirajane. She lands in their midst as Sora takes a moment to adjust himself to the sight of her Satan Soul form. Wendy is the first to greet her. "Mira? What are you doing here? Are you here to help us look for Lucy?" Mira looks shocked to hear this news. "Lucy? What happened to Lucy?!" Gajeel tried to calm her down before she got in too much of a panic. "That's what we're trying to find out. Juvia seems to be onto something right before you showed up." Mira looks over to verify Juvia's condition. "So, I take it this means you're back to normal?" Juvia puts her hand on Sora's shoulder. "Eh...Juvia will never be the same Juvia again. But...thanks to Sora; Juvia remembered that she can't hurt her own friends." Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Mira remembered why she was here.

"That's good. Sora? I was wondering if we could talk for a bit...in private." Happy gasped, but before he could say anything; Gajeel grabbed his lips and sealed them closed with a tiny iron vice. Juvia suddenly got very defensive. "Why?...is something wrong? Is he in trouble?" Mira quickly tried to relieve Juvia's anxiety. "No. Nothing's wrong. I just need to talk to him about...a secret mission." Mira was not used to lying to her friends like that, but it was the Master's orders. Sora decided to accept the request and let everyone else focus on the investigation. "Alright. We can talk." The faintest hint of jealousy could be seen on Juvia's face and Wendy couldn't help but think that maybe Juvia is more back to her old self than she cares to admit. Mira begins to lead Sora off somewhere more secluded but he stops to offer his own request. "...But can you...do something about your outfit. It's a little..." Mira finishes his statement. As she changes back to her normal form. "...Distracting? You're the SECOND person to say that today."

 ***Before you ask; yes. The chapter title is a FT Abridged reference.***


	12. TruSSSt in me

~Radiant Garden: Merlin's House~  
Leon comes through the door with Laxus and Erza to find that Makarov has already been introduced to Tifa and Yuffie. They seem to be getting off on the wrong foot based on how fussy Yuffie is being towards him. "Ah! Leon! Where's Cid?!" Always the calm and collected one; Leon answers her frantic question. "He's in Traverse Town. He already told us he has - and I quote: Some stupid obligation to take care of a dumb kid's pets." Yuffie shrugs in defeat. "Oh...well, who's gonna take care of Aerith's bump?" Tifa answered Yuffie's dumb question. "She has healing magic, you ding-dong. She can take care of it herself when she wakes up."

A new voice seems to come out of nowhere as an old man in blue appears in the center of the room. "What is all that racket?! Oh...It's you. Eh...right on time." Makarov approached the man in blue. "You must be Merlin. Mavis talked about you. I need to know...what do you know about a boy named Sora? Is he trustworthy?" The Radiant Garden crew looked at each other with a smirk and a small laugh as Leon was the one who answered. "Hmph. You have no idea, do you?"

~Fiore: Forest of Nel~ **  
**"He looks like me?" Sora's response to Mira prodding confirmed to her that he was not working with Vanitas, but as to whether or not he KNEW anything about them...that was still up in the air. "Yes. He said his name was Vanitas. Do you know him?" Sora pondered for a while. "The name DOES sound familiar. Though I don't know why. What did he act like?" Mira did some pondering herself. She doesn't seem to understand that she's supposed to be the one asking the questions. "Well, he was cocky, for sure. He's playful like you, but in a different way. He's a LOT stronger than you. He was so fast, I could barely tell that he copped a feel of me while we were fighting." Sora nodded affirmatively as he was taking in the information until that last part. "Hmm...wait what?!"

Meanwhile; just a few yards away, Juvia was spying on the two them from behind a tree. She wasn't sure what compelled her to eavesdrop on them. She didn't like suspecting her friends, but this was sounding more and more like Mira was interrogating a member of Fairy Tail like she didn't trust him. Mira continues her explanation. "I slugged him for it, of course! It was weird. He could dodge Erza, no problem. But as soon as he touched me, he let his guard down and I got a hit in."

Sora puts his hand to his chest as though he's looking for some kind of response from the depths of his heart. "Hmm. I think I know why. Yeah. I'm sure I know what Vanitas is feeling." Mira turned her head in confusion. "Feeling? What do you mean? How do you know?" Sora looks over in Juvia's general direction but does not make eye contact with her, so he probably didn't actually see her. "Because I felt the same thing with someone else very recently. So the feeling is still fresh in my heart." Juvia swiftly pulled her head back behind her cover with her back to the tree. Just as swiftly she dashed away from them and back to the rest of the group.

Mira stayed quiet for a while as she was organizing her thought. She then came to the conclusion that Sora was telling the truth and he was indeed trustworthy. "Thank you for answering my questions. By the way...what exactly is that FEELING you and Vanitas supposedly share?" She gets a huge smug grin on her face as she leans in. Sora laughs off her less formal question and plays coy to get her to drop the subject. "Heh. Well, what do YOU think it is?"

 ***Mira trying to play matchmaker, as usual. But doesn't seem to notice when someone is interested in her. She probably chalks it up as just another set of eyes ogling her. Totally normal for FT's pinup model***


	13. He Loves Me, Naught

~The World That Never Was: Grey Room~  
A pale light shines through the giant window covering the entire west side of the room. There are a few members lounging about as a fresh new coat entered the room. Natsu was the first to greet the newbie. "Oy! Lucy! Over here!" She meanders her way over to Natsu on the couch, but doesn't remove her hood.

She didn't say anything for a while while she tried to comprehend what Natsu could be thinking. "...So...this is where you ran off to after we came back from the Grand Magic Games? You joined a new team, made new friends...and you left me behind." The sound of Natsu grinding his teeth under his hood was difficult to hide. "Now hold on...that's not fair! I didn't join them first thing. I was going on a mission to clear my head when...something happened and I lost my heart." Lucy sits down on the coffee table rather than the couch with Natsu.

"You could have come back to us. We could have helped you!" Natsu yanks his hood down to reveal his pink hair has turned solid white as he leans in to yell at her. "Like you helped GRAY?!" Lucy pulled back in disbelief. "How could you...that wasn't...you really have lost your heart, haven't you?!" Natsu stands up and turns away from her. "For the record; this is exactly why I DIDN'T come home to you guys...and exactly why I protested you joining us. Ansem was right. You understand NOTHING."

Lucy could only watch him walk away as she was left to deal with her thoughts. But she wasn't left alone for long. Ansem put a hand on her shoulder as he approached. "Are you ready, Princess? I'm beginning my mission to hunt down Natsu's Heartless. Do you still plan to join me or are you too busy catching up with old friends?" Lucy suddenly stood up at attention and attempted to look strong as tears could be seen falling from under her hood. "I don't know if I could call us FRIENDS anymore."

~Radiant Garden: Postern~  
Makarov and Merlin converse in seclusion from the rest of the party as Aerith waits out front for the last person to arrive. Of course, it was Cloud who kept everyone waiting. The old wizards wrapped up there discussion so Merlin could tell everyone the plan. "Alright. Everyone is here. I shall be the one to inform you all of the situation. Makarov is in need of answers. So I will take him to speak to Yen Sid. Lean; you will accompany us as an escort."

Makarov finishes the explanation. "Erza. You and Laxus will return to Fiore along with Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith. I need your team to protect the guild. Laxus will fill you in on the specifics of Lumen Histoire." Yuffie starts whining. "Aw. What? We're on guard duty? L-a-m-e." Leon gives Erza and Laxus glare that seems to be looking for acknowledgement. Erza grabs Yuffie's shoulder as she notices Erza nods at Leon. "Oh...Well...I guess it won't be THAT bad." The teams split off as Erza's team heads towards Makarov's ship and Makarov's team heads further into the castle.

~Fiore: Mountain Pass~  
Mira leads Sora's team to where she last saw Vanitas as she and Happy fly ahead to scout the area. She knew she wasn't going to find him there, but maybe he left some kind of clue. Wendy has difficulty trekking through the deep snow with her small legs and falls behind as Gajeel pulls her up and carries her over his shoulder...despite her protests and flailing. Juvia took notice of the spread out positions of all her friends. This is the best chance she would get to talk to Sora alone.

She works up the courage to speak. "Sora?" Sora turns back to face her, but now the words are trapped on her tongue. "Um...oh, why is this so hard?! Juvia never had this much trouble telling people her feelings before. This is so frustrating!" Sora tries to fill in the gaps with what she wants to say. "You want to talk about your feelings? Well, don't hold back on my account. Speak from the heart." Juvia stops walking and Sora follows suit.

"Juvia thought she understood love when she was obsessed with Gray." Sora interjected between her nervous pauses. "I know. You already said that your love for Gray was mostly one-sided." Juvia continues. "Yes. But Juvia was wondering...would it be one-sided...with YOU?" Sora was speechless, but Juvia wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not.

"Juvia is unsure of herself. Unsure if her heart can handle the pain of realizing her feelings were misplaced...AGAIN. Juvia must know now...before she regrets devoting every waking moment of her life to someone who does not feel the same. So...Juvia will come right out and say it. Do you...love...Juvia?" The brief silence that followed felt like the longest and most agonizing five seconds of Juvia's life. But she got a more straightforward answer than she was expecting.

"Y-yes. I've seen love of all kinds during my adventure. Princess and Street Rat, Beauty and Beast, Wildman and Noblewoman. I've seen it in more forms than I've seen colors in the rainbow. What I'm feeling in my heart...I'm sure...that's what they felt in theirs." Juvia gasped as she was somehow even MORE confused. "Y-y-y-you...really mean it?! This is what it feels like to BE loved?!" But before Juvia could fully express her pleasure with Sora's answer; a certain Savage Nymph interrupted their moment.

"I'm sorry. Should I come back later? Look at you, Sora. All grown up and turning into a real heartthrob, aren't you? You're still just a TOY." Juvia begins to boil with rage. The falling snow turns to rain as everyone's hair was standing on edge from the electricity in the air. "What's wrong, Juvia? Did I say something that made you angry...again?" Juvia responds angrily. "You always wanted to fight Juvia, Larxene! Juvia just didn't have a reason to hit you...until now!" Juvia's water attack looks different than normal. It looks like a bit of ICE was thrown in. "Ice Make Water Nebula!"

 ***(Un)Lucky number 13 gets a special treatment for the chapter. Juvia has absorbed Gray's power. If you've read the manga, it happened in a way very similar to how Juvia saved Gray in the Alvarez Arc. Leon, Erza and Laxus seem to have their own SECRET plan. Natsu is deeper into the Organization than Juvia was and it shows in his hair.***


	14. Two Sides of the Same Heart

~Fiore: Mountain Pass~  
Juvia's battle with Larxene ended. The blue mage came out on top, but suffered some minor damage. She sat down on a nearby rock with Wendy for some healing. Gajeel and Mira went on ahead to further scout the area. Juvia has been quiet since she won her fight and has avoided eye contact with Sora. Sora knelt down to her while she was being healed by Wendy.

"Juvia? Are you alright?"

"...No. Juvia is being selfish again. Possessive. Larxene said things that made Juvia angry and it brought out Juvia's dark side of love. Juvia HATES that part of her. But she can't make it go away. She hasn't learned a thing."

Wendy remains quiet as she scoots over to allow the two of them to be more direct. Sora gets closer.

"Well, you can't expect to banish ALL of your Darkness at once. Nor do you have to rely on doing it all yourself. You have friends."

He pats his hand on Wendy's head who makes a puffy face at him. Juvia giggles a bit at them.

"You really think Juvia can turn herself around...after everything she has done? Juvia doesn't deserve such supportive and considerate boyfriend."

She clasped her hands over her mouth as soon as the words left her tongue. Sora didn't pay the word much mind. That would only make her more embarrassed.

"It's not so much about what you did….but what are you prepared to do."

"Juvia will do whatever it takes to atone!"

Such conviction was something Sora had only ever seen in himself...in more ways than one. It gave Sora the courage to make the move he was wanting to make for a while.

"Then I think...you deserve to have that love returned now. You ARE overdue for some."

"Hmm? Mmph!"

Juvia's eyes shot wide open, but she slowly began to understand what was happening. A kiss. Her first kiss. She had always imagined what her first kiss would be like. But even with her "healthy imagination" she never conceived that it would be this wonderful. Her lips met with Sora's and they just...lingered. Perhaps it was too long. "Was this Sora's first kiss as well?" She thought to herself. "Were they doing it wrong?" She didn't care. She closed her eyes to better savor the overflowing wealth of bright feelings from her heart and body. Tears fell from her face. Tears of joy. A soft moan could be heard, but it wasn't from her. Sora was enjoying his first kiss to similar degree.

Being forced to watch this was not something Wendy was keen on. She covered her eyes with her face flushed red. This was a tender moment...so of course, the Happy had to ruin it.

"How long are you guys going to nuzzle noses like that?!"

They finally broke the kiss. But Juvia was so far in bliss that she wasn't upset with Happy at all.

"Did you want a kiss as well, Happy?"

Wendy and Happy couldn't tell if she was joking or if she was delusional from her...natural high. Juvia had a new motivation. A new fire in her heart. One that burned bigger and brighter than any other before. A fire. That reminded her.

"Natsu. He's got to be struggling with his heart and convictions as well."

Her moment of realization brought both her and Sora back to reality.

"But Ansem wouldn't bring Lucy back to the castle unless he was trying to get her to join the Organization. But Xemnas said our ranks were full. That we had all the members we needed. So we have no use for her in our number. Unless...Lucy really is a Princess!"

~Fiore: Top of the Mountain Pass~  
Gajeel and Mira investigate a small cave hidden in the snow. Gajeel sniffs the air in the darkened cave.

"The smell of Darkness if foul in here."

"You can SMELL Darkness?"

"Yeah. Based on what you told us about him; your crush was her for a while."

"...Gajeel...If YOU start turning into Happy; we're all doomed."

"Geehee."

Another voice cut through the darkness.

"I wouldn't say crush..."

It startled them as they quickly got into a fighting stance, but were unable to pinpoint the voice's location.

"...Stalker is more accurate."

It sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once. But Gajeel got an idea.

"Well, that's fine. So was Juvia for a while. But at least when she stalked Gray...she had the METAL to show herself."

After a bit of silence, Gajeel's taunt worked. The darkness drifted away as torches with blue fire lit up all throughout the cave. It revealed this place be a torture chamber filled with tons of tools for causing pain. Vanitas walked out from the shadows with his arms folded and no helmet on and his face out for all to see.

"You're dancing on a hornets nest, Tough guy."

"Dragons and Demons don't even notice hornets, Dumbass"

"Everything stings on the INSIDE."

 ***I'm back. I'll bet you didn't even notice I was gone. It took a little longer to get back into the swing of things than I thought. But still...Those KH3 trailers were hype, right?***


	15. Crystal Balls

~Fiore: Tenrou Island~  
Roxas arrives on the uninhabited island of his own accord to investigate a strange call. A call to his heart from beyond. It called him to this place. But why? There was nothing here. The only thing he could find was a lone grave with no name on it. "Huh. No Name." Roxas mused to himself on the irony. His solitude didn't last for long as he heard the voice call to him again. This time it sounded like it actually came from nearby. "Roxas." He ran toward the source of the voice until he came face to face with a little girl in a dress with obscenely long blonde hair. This girl gave Roxas flashbacks to Namine.

"Hello, Roxas." She spoke in a polite and cheerful tone. He bypassed the pleasantries in order to get to the meat of the conversation. "Why did you call me here? Who are you?" The girl looked more exstatic than offended by his rudeness. "Oh! You can see me! It must be your connection to Sora since he is a member of Fairy Tail now." Roxas started to become irritated with being ignored. "Another GHOST? Great. If you just wanted to show me your tricks like magic trains and animated bags, then I'll be leaving."

Shocked by his eagerness to leave, the girl panicked and attempted to stop him. But her hands went right through him. "Wait! I need your help!" Roxas keeps walking as he summons a corridor of darkness. "I'm not an exorcist. If you want to go in peace, go find a church or something." She floats through his body and blocks his path in vain. "Please. My family is going to fall to ruin. You have to help Natsu and Lucy!" Roxas stops to humor her. "Those two joined US. It's not our fault your family had a falling out. If it's family matters, then work it out with your family. Leave me out of it." The desperation in her voice becomes more apparent. "I can't. The place they're in is outside of my reach. Lucy won't answer my call. And Natsu...he burned off his guild mark. He couldn't hear me even if he wanted to listen now."

The ghost girl was now crying. Roxas wasn't sure if she was faking it or not. That concept of 'Crocodile Tears' still eluded him, but Larxene was unintentionally teaching him the advanced course. He eventually caved though. "Fine. I'll...talk to Natsu. But you're coming with me. Otherwise, I'm not gonna know what to say. Come with me. I'll take you to a place where we can meet." Her tears didn't let up. They only changed from tears of sadness into ones of relief. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She tried to hug him but continuously failed as Roxas shrugged. "I'm gonna need a name, Ghost girl. If I'm gonna be your medium, it would help if Natsu knew who he was talking to." She wiped her tears and put on a smile. "It's Mavis. Mavis Vermillion." ****

~Fiore: Top of the Mountain Pass~  
Mira and Gajeel remained cautious around Vanitas's torture devices as they fought Vanitas. He taunted them while joking around. "Oh. Those aren't for you guys. They're for ME. They help me get my Unversed out when I'm feeling a little...reserved." Mira swoops behind him from above to try and deck him in the head, but he dodges. "Aw. What's wrong, She-Devil? Are you disappointed? Did you want me to use them on you?" She was starting to get frustrated with him. Gajeel wasn't helping in that regard. Or maybe he was. "You wish, creep! She's more the type to use them on you!" Vanitas chuckled. "Ooo! You naughty girl." She has now gone from frustrated to flat out pissed. "SHUT UP!"

She continued to swing wildly as she became more ferocious, but less accurate. Vanitas didn't have to try as hard to dodge her now. Gajeel's speed wasn't anything for him to worry about, but his defensive Iron Skin was going to be a slight problem. Even with all the hits he was getting, this was not going to be a battle he could finish quickly. He wanted to get out of here before Sora and the others arrived, but Mira was all over him. She wasn't giving him any space to create a corridor of darkness to escape. "Damn. You sure are clingy."

~Fiore: Approaching the Mountain Top~  
Juvia, Sora and Wendy were running up the mountain as fast as they could with Happy flying behind them. Sora stopped for a moment as he felt something. Juvia looked concerningly at him. "Are you alright? What is it?" Sora grasped his chest. "I'm not sure. I can feel some kind of familiar darkness. Best way I can describe it is that my Anti form is bubbling up." Juvia took a moment to put it together.

"Vanitas! He's here! He must be fighting Mira and Gajeel." Wendy yelled back at them. "Can we beat him?" Juvia shakes her head. "Juvia doesn't want to fight him." Sora puts a hand on her shoulder and smiles. "Then we won't. But we have to find some way to stop him." Juvia appreciated Sora's support, but wasn't sure of an alternative way to subdue Vanitas without resorting to violence. Unless… "...Well, there is ONE way. Happy!" The Cat flew over to her. "Aye!" She whispered into his ear as Happy tried to contain his laughter. Sora and Wendy looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

~Fiore: Top of the Mountain~  
Vanitas's fight with the two wizards broke out of the torture chamber and outside to the peak of the mountain. With more room to maneuver, maybe he could get some space. At the very least, this new battleground was making Gajeel less of a threat so he could focus on wearing down Mirajane until she punched herself out. She was starting to slow down a bit as her anger got the better of her. Now she was more angry at herself than Vanitas for allowing him to push her buttons like that.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she spots Happy zooming up to her. "Happy?! What are you- Mrph!" The cat cuts her off as he latches onto her face and whispers. Vanitas raises an eyebrow and tries to interrupt them, but his attention is quickly taken by a gust of wind carrying iron shrapnel. Wendy and Gajeel working together to keep him occupied. Happy finished relaying Juvia's message as Mira does not look convinced. "This a stupid plan." Happy concedes. "Maybe. But Natsu won with stupider plans before."

Vanitas bypasses the dragon slayers attack and moves in to counter, but stops as soon as he sees Sora approach. "Ah. Sora. Quite the handsome devil, aren't you?" Sora casually does the finger guns at him. "Not to bad yourself. By the way, shouldn't you finish dancing with your OTHER partner before moving on to new ones." Vanitas realizes what he meant immediately and tried to turn around but only made it halfway before Mira got him in her clutches. Before he had any time to react; Mirajane...kissed him.

Sora, Wendy and Gajeel couldn't believe what they were seeing. Happy couldn't breath, he was laughing too hard. Juvia sighed as she grasped the bridge of her nose, seemingly embarrassed that her plan actually worked so well. "Juvia knew he wouldn't be ready for that. Vanitas really likes voluptuous women." Sora tilted his head and turned back to Juvia "Wait...Why do you know that?" Juvia blushed. "Because...he groped Juvia when we first met. But it was an accident! I think. Juvia could tell he was extremely flustered after that."

Gajeel shakes his head. "Well, let's hope not ALL of the Organization are gonna be this easy to take down." Mira pulls her head up from a pinned Vanitas in the snow. "EASY?! Do YOU wanna kiss him, Gajeel?" Unsure if that was a joke or not, Vanitas panics. "Uh...that won't be necessary. I surrender." Wendy celebrates. "We did it! We caught him!" Vanitas takes not of his position under Mira with her straddling his waist. "You sure like to take the stairs of love FIVE steps at a time, don't you?" Mira gives him a fake smile before it quickly turns into a terrifying look of murderous intent. "I wonder. Do any of your tortue machines specialize in crushing your…'Lacrimas'?" Both Sora and Gajeel instinctively cringe in fear as Vanitas's face just freezes and becomes pale white.  
 **  
*Yes. Lacrimas is codeword for...exactly what you think they are.***


	16. A Dark Deal

~Twilight Town: Top of the Clocktower~

Roxas sits at the top looking out over the sunset as he usually does, but with Mavis sitting beside him. He would've gotten her an ice cream...if she could hold it. He just shared his instead, but even then she couldn't taste it. Natsu soon arrives and just as expected; Mavis could tell that he couldn't see her anymore. "What's up, Roxas? You never call me out like this." Roxas motions for him to come and sit down. Interestingly, he choose to sit just far enough away from Roxas that Mavis can still fit between them.

"Natsu. Do you miss your family?" Natsu was caught off guard by Roxas sudden interest in his personal life. "What do you mean?" Roxas makes eye contact. "You chose us because we would help you. Because we were convenient. But you don't hate your family, do you?" Natsu took a moment to consider the best way to answer. "No. I don't hate them. But I am angry at them. They want to move on. To forget about Gray and the others like they were nothing! I can't forgive that." Mavis becomes defensive and tries to talk to Natsu directly instead of through Roxas. "No! That's not true! We loved them and would never forget them! But we can't dwell on their passing forever." She relented as soon as she realized Natsu couldn't hear her.

But before Roxas could relay the message, Natsu scolded himself. "No. I know they would never forget Gray. But I'm still angry that they would try to move past it so quickly. Juvia and me were the only one's not willing to let go. I won't go back to them." Roxas got his next message. "...Not even Lucy?" Natsu looked and Roxas with suspicion. "What makes you think-" Roxas didn't even let him finish. "It doesn't take superhuman powers to see that you two are into each other. She came looking for you. She accepted the Darkness, accepted Xehanort...for you." Mavis was surprised to hear this, but focused on Natsu; who seemed to be frustrated. "What am I supposed to say to her?" Roxas decided to answer Natsu's question himself. "Just say you're sorry."

Natsu was appalled by the implication. "Me?! Apologize?!" Roxas stands up from the ledge and hands his ice cream to Natsu as he looks out in the distance. "Take it from me. When you lose a friend...the last thing you want to do is push your other friends away." Natsu didn't have a response to that. Roxas stepped down and started to leave. "Oh. And Natsu. I probably don't know what I'm talking about since I've never had one before, but...family is not a bond that can be BURNED off." He looks at his own shoulder where his guild mark used to be and slumped over, eating the ice cream. "...Whatever, man."

~Fiore: Fairy Tail Guild Hall~

Erza, Laxus, Cloud, Tifa and Aerith land just outside the building. Cloud and Tifa go straight inside to check for infiltrators as Laxus goes on patrol around the perimeter. Erza and Aerith head for Lumen Histoire together. "You're guild is quite impressive." Erza appreciated the compliment. "Thank you. Let's hope we can keep it in one piece for tonight. Although, with Natsu not being here, the chance of the guild being destroyed goes down considerably."

They enter the basement and find Mavis' body encased in crystal. "Is this Lumen Histoire?" Aerith touched the crystal as Erza shrugged. "It must be. Master Makarov needs to stop keeping secrets." Aerith pumps her fists in excitement. "All we have to do is protect her until we get word from Makarov or Master Yen Sid, right?" Erza looks concerned. "Aerith? Are you sure you're ready for this? This could be intense." Aerith waves off her doubt. "No worries. I can handle myself." Unconvinced; Erza prodded again. "...What exactly do you do?" Aerith started listing off her occupations. "Well, I'm chief advisor in the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, I sell flowers, I've been working on opening my own Cafe, and even considered babysitting."

~Fiore: Bottom of the Mountain~

Juvia sneezed. As Sora showed concern. "Did you catch a cold?" She rubbed her nose. "No. Juvia just felt like someone acknowledged her fantasies for a moment. By the way; which name do you like better? Imber or Amber?" Sora tilted his head in confusion, but answered the question anyways. "Uh...Imber. Why do you ask?" Juvia started to drift off into her own world as she smiled slyly. "Mmm...No reason."

Gajeel snapped her back to reality. "Hey! Will you two quit playing house and get over here?!" Juvia briefly pondered Gajeel's suggestion before putting it to the side and rejoining the group. Gajeel filled them in on their progress with Vanitas. "We caught the bastard. Now how do we get him to spill his guts on how to get to the enemy castle? Me and Wendy are gonna do Good Cop-Bad Cop routine."

Wendy gets right up in Vanitas' face. "Tell us your secrets, Punk! You like kidnapping girls?! Try me! Go on! Just try it!" Gajeel pulls her back. "Easy! Easy! Look pal, I'm not sure how long I can keep my friend here from going ballistic on your ass. So, just tell us what we want to know and you can go home." Everyone just stares at them dumbfounded, even Vanitas. "...What?" Happy interjects. "I think you guys got the roles mixed up." Gajeel whispered back. "It's all part of the plan. They never see this coming." Wendy kicks over a rock aggressively. "You make me sick! SICK!" She spits beside him.

Mirajane speaks up. "Cut it out! You're not intimidating him. You're confusing him." Wendy breaks character and relents. "Sorry!" Vanitas addresses Juvia. "Why don't you just take them back, yourself?" She looks down dejected. "Juvia never quite figured out how to open Dark Corridors like you, Vanitas." He chuckles to himself. "Oh. Shame. You had such promise. I really thought you were gonna give me a run for my money one day. Turns out you're just another pretty face, Sweetie." Sora puts his hands on Vanitas' chest to push him to the ground. "Hey! No one calls her Sweetie except me!" Both Sora and Juvia blush profusely as Vanitas raises an eyebrow with a smug grin. Sora immediately back tracks. "I mean...uh...nevermind."

Vanitas shakes his head in disappointment. "Come on, man. Commit to it! Geez, you people are PATHETIC." Mira puts her demon hand on his head and turns it to look at her. "Let's drop the pleasantries then. You will take us to Lucy or else-" Vanitas interupts her as his smug grin doesn't fade. "Or else WHAT?! What will you do?! Cause I guarantee you it won't be HALF as bad as what Xehanort will do to me if he finds out I helped you." Mira reconsiders their tactics. Torture and threats are going to get them nowhere. So, perhaps a bargain would go over better.

"If you help us, we'll let you go..." Vanitas interupts her again. "Oh, how generous of you." She didn't let his sarcasm deter her. "...and we won't go after you again..." He's not even paying attention anymore. But she's committed to it now. "And...I'll...let you touch them...for as long as you want." She struggled to force the words out as Vanitas slowly turned his head back to her. "I'm...sorry? Did I hear that right? Because it sounded like..." Her face was bright red but also furiously scowling at him. He suddenly got very excited. Like a kid at Christmas. But he stops for a moment as his excitement fades.

"No deal." Mira was shocked that he would reject her...er...the opportunity. "W-what do you mean?! I'm suddenly not to your tastes anymore!" Now she seemed even more angry. But he refused to look at her. "I'm not stupid. A one-time passing pleasure in exchange for access to Organization's castle? Gimme a break. Your candy is sweet, Sugar. But not THAT sweet." Mira couldn't believe that NOW of all times he decides to show some self-restraint. Juvia goes past her and moves over to Vanitas.

"Ooo. You gonna offer the same, Swee- er...Juvia? Or am I getting a two-for-one special, if you know what I mean?" She leans down and whispers into his ear. Mira and Sora become nervous. Juvia pulls back as Vanitas stares at her suspiciously in silence for a moment. "Are you serious?" Juvia's expression doesn't change. "Dead serious." Vanitas considers the new offer...and looks over at Mirajane with a smile, but this time it was the first smile he gave her that didn't reek of sinister intent. "Alright Juvia. You got a deal. But you'd better hold up your end of the bargain. Or no amount 'friendship' will save you from me."

 ***Did you catch the reference to another story? Bonus points if you did.***


End file.
